And willis bedford



` @uitrity tatrs @anni @Him CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNORS TO HIRAM ALDRIDGEI.

Letters Patent No. 77,94`5Ldatecl Flay 19, 1.868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-BOWER.

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To ALL vri-10M Ir MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, HIRAM ALLRIDGE, of Goshen, in the county of Elkhart, and vState of Indiana, and WILLIS BEDFORD, ot'- Chicago, inthe county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Powers; and we do hereby declare that the following-is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of' our improved horse-power complete.

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken in the vertical planelindicated by red line :l: in iig. 1.

' Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the frame, Ashowing the driving-shaft, its two spur-wheels, and the l manner of suspending it beneath said frame. p

Figure 4 shows one ofthe adjustable hangers for the drivng-shaft Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures- This invention relates to certain novel improvements ou horse powers, wherein the teams working the powers are hitched to a long sweep or lever, and travel around in a circle. Owing-to the fact thata team will sometimes walk slower than at other times, the speed of the power will vary in the same ratio as the variation'of walking speed of the teams. Again, it is important to provide for .changing the-speed of the driving or tumblingshaft, through which motion is transmitted to threshing and other machinery, so as to adapt the speed of p the power to the kind of Work to be done. It is also important to have two or more pnions attached to the` t sume driving-shaft, whether these pinibns are of the same or diierent diameters, for the reason that the teeth of the pinion upon such'shai't are subjected to great strain and wear, and frequently break; in which ease, if

l one or more supplemental pinions are employed, another can be quickly substituted in its stead.

The nature of our invention consists in providingsixnple and; practical means whereby the driving-shaft, through which motion is transmitted to machinery, c'anibe raised4 ordepressedvertically, and also adjusted longitudinally, said sh'aft having applied upon it two or more pinion-spur wheels, -as will be hereinafter described, whereby different speeds can be given to said shafts and the machinery to'which it transmits motion, und whereby a given speed can be maintained whether the team working the .power walk fast or slow, as will be hereinafter explained. And, in conjunction with the above features, the invention further consists in proriding for effecting the longitudinal adjustment of said shaft and a change from fast to slow speed, or nz'ce versa, without changing the 'relative distance between the horse-power and th'e machine which it operates, as will be hereinafter explained. Y y

'Ihe invention also consists in constructing thc main frame oi' the horse-power of a triangular form, and in distributing three driving-pinionsbeneath or above a horizontal .revolving toothed master-wheel, in such manner as to place cach one of said wheels at the angle of said frame, and thus to equalize and distribute the power applied to the master-wheel equally, said master-wheel being constructed in such manner as'to admit of the application to it, above the axis of the several pinions, of anti-friction 'holding-down rollers;` and said pinions being applied to shaits which radiate from a common centre, and communicate motion and power uniformly to the main spur-wheel that drives the machinery, all as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand our invention, we will describe its construction and operation. p

n'the accompanying drawings, B represents the frame or foundation upon which the improved horse-power. is applied, which frame may be adapted for being secured permanently down in place, or it may be mounted upon wheels so as to be portable, whenever 'it is desired to transport it from one placeto another. Upon this frame B, a frame, A, is iirmly bolted, which, when taken horizontally, is ofthe form of au equilateral triangle, with the corners cut off as shown in iig. 1. In c ross-section, the side-bars forming this frame are L-shaped, so :1s to leave an outwardly-projectinghanged base, through which' to pass bolts for securing the frame in place upon its foundation B. The frame A is cast in one piece, and, at its four angles, recesses are left for receiving journal-boxes, which are held in place by means of caps, which are lettered e. The frame C is also constructed with inside bearingsC C C', which are of a segmental form, and which are cast with yrecesses in them for receiving journal-boxes'that are held down in place by means of caps ol d d. Each vjournal-box is constructed of two half boxes,tted togetherlandmade with side grooves, so that, when in'plac'ein frame B, they cannot be moved endwise ont of place. 1 j At the three angles or corners ofthe frame A, outside thereof, are pinion-spur wheels G Gr G, applied fast to shafts which radiate from the centre of said frame.vv Two of said shafts,'D D, terminate just inside of two of the inside bearings C C', and carry'on their inner .ends bevel-spur wheels c c. These wheels c c both engage with a bevel-spur wheel, c', which is upon-a shaft, D', that extends entirely across the frame C, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. The shaft D1 also carries a large spur-wheel, D2, within lthe space included between the three inside bearings C', which wheel communicates motion to a horizontal transverse driving-shaft, E, arranged beneath the frame B, as shown. The pinionY-Vspurwheels Gare frusta of cones whose axes-and apices have a common centre, which centre is the axis-ot` motion of a master-wheel A.

The'master-wheel A is constructed with ears and loops a b, and `also with bolts'b, suitably arranged upon its circumference, for attaching the levers or sweeps'C to said wheel. Upon the bottom surface of 'the masterwheel, teth are formed which engage with the three pinion-wheels G G G,Iand rotate them all in the same i direction when the master-wheel is revolved.

In order to keep said master-wheel down in place upon its pinions G, the caps e ofthe-three corner bearingi boxes have standards fff consti-noted upon them, which standards carry, `uponstu'ds secured to their upper ends, the anti-friction holding-down wheels g g, these wheels .being arranged so as tofroll upon the-upper surface ofthe wheel A, directly over the axes of the pinion-spur wheels G, will keep this wheel down in place, in

. gear with these'wheels. The perpendicular ,annular rib upon the upper surfaceV of the master-wheel A, in conjunction with the rollersg, will prevent this'wheel from being moved laterally out of its place. `It will be seen that thejhree inside spur-wheels e .c e', the three pinion-spur wheels G G'G, and the toothed ring' or masterwheel A, are all concentric to'the centre of the triangular frame C, consequently power and motion will bc transmitted uniformly' from three quidistant points ,of the master-wheel to the spur-wheel D2, which transmits motion and power to the driving-shaft E. p

n The shaft Eis supported on both sides ofthe frame B, by means 'ofjournal-boxes c fc, upon the'lower ends of vertically-adjustablehangersh, so that this shaft can be raised or depressed bodily, and set to run at any desired distance from the whelelfDz, according tothe diameter ofthe pinion-spur wheels El EZ-whch it is desiredto employ upon saidshaft.I I have represented two pinions of dil'erent diameters upon the shaft E, but, if desirable, more than two pinions may be employed.

The hangers h may be constructed and applied to the frameB, as shown in figs; 2, 3, and 4. They are secured to the frame B by means of bolts s s passing laterally through the sill-beams of this frame, and through vertical oblong slots tt, made through the hangers, as shown in lig. 4. On the upper ends of the slotted' plates v h', screws h are formed which pass looselyr through ears-j, and receive nuts upon them on top of the ears.

When the bolts s s are loosened, the shaft E'ean be raised `or depressed by turning the nuts t'.

In order to bring either one of the' pinion-spur wheels in the same vertical plane as the driving-wheel D2, -it will benecessary to provide for adjusting the shaft E lengthwise, which can be readily done by loosening one or the other of'the collars Z, which are upon said shaft, and which-are used to prevent longitudinal motion thereof when not required, byv setting them up close to the'boxes c, as shown in iigs. 1, 2, and 3.

It is evident that the driving-shaftE could not be shiftedin direction with `its length without moving either the power or the' machine which is attachedito it, unless some plan were adopted which would compensate for said shifting of the shaft. 4 l

This plan consists inthe use of the slip or'shifting coupling-joint E, which is represented in figs. 1, 2, and

3, upon one ofthe square ends of the shaft E, and so applied thereupon as to b e allowed to slide longitudinally v a distance equal to lthelrequired longitudinal adjustment of said shaft.

The sliding coupling-joint may be applied either to thevdriving-shaft of the power,ior to the loose tumbling-- 'shaft leading from the power, andy forming connections'by a number of tumbling-shafts with the lnwchine to be,

o erated.

p Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In combination -with a stationary or mounted horse-power, we claim a vertically-adjustable shaft, E, which is provided with two or more pinion-spurwheels, for the purposes and `substantially in the manner described.

'2. The'verticallyddjustable shaft E, with two or more pinions'upon it, in combination with sliding or coinpensating knuckles or couplings F, or their'equivalents, substantially `as and for 'the purposes described.

3.l In combination with a shaft, E, which is made vertically adjustable, and also longitudinally adjustable, we claim the adjustable collars Z l,- substantially as described. l

4. The triangular L-shaped cast 'frame C C, constructed substantially as and for the purposes described. 5. The combined arrangement of the driving-pinions Gr G G, radial shafts D D DI, bevel-wheels c c c arranged-upenn. vtriangular frame, C' C', substantially as described.

. lHIRAM ALDRIDGE,

wILfL'Is BEDFORD.

Witnesses:

W. A. liens, G. D. HENKEL. 

